Outlet-box.



l. A. TERRELL.

OUTLET BOX.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR.12,1913.

Fig: 1.-

WITNESS-ES4 /NVENTR 1 Irfah A. Terrell d MTXWLM l MMM/Ey Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

,A UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEFioE.

IRIJ'AH ALFRED TERRELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 W. R. OSTRANDER & COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

OUTLET-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

Application led March 12,; 1913. Serial No. 753,698.

` derstood that this expression is usedmerely as a convenient term and not as a limitation, for the invention may be used equa-lly well in walls, ceilings and many other places.

The object of my invention is to vproduce a simple, cheap and efiicient form of fioor box intended for electrical wiring purposes. @ne of the more specific objects of the invention is to So construct a device of this character that the rosette, cut-out, socket or other electrical fixture to be mounted therein may bereadily inserted 'and secured in place without need for any special fastening devices. Another object is to make it possible to secure the fixture in practically any desired angular relation Within the box.

One feature of the invention, accordingly consists in making the box with inner walls converging ,inwardly toward the bottom of the box, and providing the fixture with a base to engage such walls to thereby frictionally support the fixture within the box. The opposite walls are preferably made equidistant at' substantially all points so as to permit the seating of the fixture in practically any position to which it may be turned. The base of the electriofixture is preferably in the form of a bridge piece upon which the fixture is secured and this so-called bridge piece preferably has upstanding arms at its opposite ends. Another feature ofthe invention resides in providing a top Which by engaging over uthe upper ends of these upstanding arms revents withdrawal of the bridge piece an parts supported thereby.

Other features will appear as the specification proceeds.

I have, in the accompanying drawings 'turned to different positions "Ato illustrated the invention in one of its preferred forms, but I would have it understood that various changes and modifications may Vbe made therein without departing from the true scope ofthe invention.

Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the invention as mounted in place in a fioor.

Fig. 2, is a cross sectional view substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, indicating in dotted lines how the fixture may be in the box.

Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the bridge piece and fixture carried thereby.

fIhe body of the box is designated 5 and it is as shown, preferably made with its inner opposite walls 6 converging inwardly toward the bottom 7 of the box. The bottom port-ion of the box is as usual in such constructions made with one ora number; of openings 8 therein to receive the wires.

The electrical fixture Which ismounted the fioor box is, in this particular instance a plug cut-out 9, andy is s own provided with 'a base in the form of a bridge piece 10.

This base is preferably of a size to seat down between opposite inner converging walls Vof the box so as to thereby frictionally support the electric fixture in place. Preferably the bridge piece is provided with upstanding spring arms 11 at its oppositeends which serve to steady it and may also be utilized -to assist in frictionally holdingthe fixture in place, by arranging them on an .outward flare, as in Fig. 1 to conform to the converging inner walls of the box. The fixture may be secured in any suitable way bridge piece. In the illustration asecuring screw 12 is used for this purpose and the fixture is grooved as indicated at 13 tor fit down over the bridge iece.

14 is preferablybprovided for the box an this top, which is preferably simply in the form of 'a narrow annular floor ring, is preferably utilized to secure the fixture in the box, which it does by engaging over the ends of the upstanding arms 11. A rubber faced gasket l5 may be placed between the upper edge of the-box and the underside of the top, in which case the top would enupon the surroundin 'be the most convenient position.

The box may be secured in place in the opening in which it is seated byvmeans of suitable fastening screws 18 which are projected from the inside of the box into the material of the floor or othei` support. he top of' the box is preferably made with an opening 19 therein, of rela-- ture from the box. IVhen the 'fixture is not in use this opening in the top of the box may be "closed by a fiat cover disk, seated in the opening and' lying flush with the Hoor, and when the fixture is being used, a cover cap such as that indicated at Q0 may be employed, this cap havin@ an opening 21 therein for the passage of the conductor 22 from the fixture.. -IVith this structure thereforethe cover can be readily unscrewed and taken off and the removal of this cover permits ready access and inspection o the entire interior of the box. The thin floor ring 14 leaves a maximum thickness of floor to support the box. The cap 20 is screwed down into the floor ring 14 until it seats against the gasket 15 so as to afford a tight joint. The box may be fitted in an opening in the fioor and secured by screws 18 while the floor ring 14 is secured to the body of the box. This insures the floor ring being level. The improvements not only reduce the cost of manufacture but also give added strength and facilitate insulation.

lVhat I claim is 1. In combination, a floor box, a bridge piece seated within the box and provided with upstanding arms at its opposite ends making frictional engagement with the inner walls of the box, an electric fixture mounted upon the bridge piece and a top secured to the box engaging the upper ends of the upstanding arms to force the bridge piece down into the box.

2. In combination` a floor box having inner walls converging inwardlyv toward the bottom of the box. a bridge piece seated between the converging walls having upwardly extending spring arms on its opposite ends inclined to substantially fit the inclination of the converging inner walls of the box,.a top secured to tlie box and overlyingthe upper ends of' said spring arms to thereby prevent displacement of the bridge piece from the box and an electric fixture mounted on the bridge piece.

3. In combination, a floor box substantially circular in cross section, a bridge piece of a length corresponding to an internal diameter of the floor box and thereby adapted to be seated in various angular relations within the box, spring arms at the opposite ends of said bridge prece angularly directed to yieldingly engage the opposite inner walls of the box whereby to frictionally hold the bridge piece in the osition to which it is adjusted within the ox and an electric fixture supported on the bridge piece between the ends thereof and out of contact with said spring arms to thereby permit yielding of said spring arms.

4. In combination, a floor box, a bridge piece of a length equal to an internal diameter of the floor box engaging at its endswith the side walls of said floor box and thereby supported by said side walls within the floor box. and having upstanding arms at the opposite ends of the bridge piece to thereby steady the bridge piece in the position in which it is seated in the box, an electric fitting mounted on the bridge piece within the box and a top detachab y secured to the box and adapted to engage thev upper ends of the upstanding arms to thereby prevent displacement of the bridge piece and fittingin the box.

In combination, a flangeless, slightly tapering, circular floor box having a relaf tively smooth and unobstructed exterior and screw-receiving ribs on the interior, an annular gasket of substantially the same external diameter as the rim of the box, resting on the rim of the box and projecting inwardly within the rim, a relatively thin floor ring seated on the gasket and projecting laterally beyond the rim and extending inwardly a distance short of the inner edge of the gasket and a cap having screw engagement with the inner periphery of the floor ring and arranged to screw down into engagement with the inwardly proj ecting portion of the gasket.

G. In combination, a floor box, an annular floor ring secured to the to thereof and provided with a screw-threat ed inner periphery, a relatively rigid annular member interposed between the floor ring and the rim of the floor box and projecting inwardly bevond the 'inner periphery of th'e fioor ring,

'said riOid member havinfr a resilient u er face engaging the floor ring and extending inwardly beyond the screw-threaded inner periphery of the floor ring and a resilient which projects inwardly heyond the inner lower face bearing on lthe rim of the box, a periphery of the fioor ring and an eleccap having serewfthreaded engagement with trical fixture mounted in the box. t

the threaded inner periphery of the floor AIRIJAH ALFRED TERRELL. ring and adapted to be screwed down into Witnesses: engagement with that portion of the upper R. S. ALLYN,

resilient face of lthe rigid annular member E. BRADFORD. 

